Among the landmarks, surviving in Eastern Europe, world-famous St. Sophia Cathedral is the oldest one. Artists who erected the cathedral and decorated its walls mosaics and frescoes used the techniques that were based on Byzantine traditions. These techniques allowed to create something that by its perfection and beauty affects everyone who crosses the threshold of St. Sophia Cathedral.
The first generation of Kiev builders and painters studied within the walls of this temple. Here they were taught not only stone-building techniques of which they had very little knowledge as well as new kinds of arts and crafts and the art of infusing the created forms with cultural meanings, but also they were acquiring skills so that they were able to transmit their knowledge and experience to successors. This was the key for the Eastern Slavic world to enter the European civilization camp and gave an impetus for understanding and purposeful development of our own cultural traditions.
St. Sophia Cathedral was created as a center of Kiev Metropolis and the main church of the Kievan state; here metropolitans were enthroned, councils of bishops were assembled, church laws were approved, princes sat at the Kyiv table; they met foreign ambassadors and concluded agreements here also. Chronicles were written at the cathedral; there was a scriptorium, a library was established. It is possible that "Word on Law and Grace" was first read under the arches of St. Sophia Cathedral. Metropolitan Hilarion – the author of this great church-political work interpreted foundations of Christian worldview and sense of world history to newly baptized Kiev citizens in the cathedral, thus having defined it as one of the most important places throughout the whole Kievan Rus'.
St. Sophia Museum: Address: 01001, m. Kyiv, str. Vladimir, 24.
Phone: (044) 278-62-62, 278-61-52.
Landmark is opened for visitors:
St. Sophia Cathedral, XI century .: daily 10 hours. 00 min. up to 18 hours. 00 min.;
Belfry, XVIII .: daily from 9 h. 55 min. up to 18 hours. 00 min.;
Khlibnya (Consistory), XVIII - XIX centuries .: daily 10 hours. 00 min. up to 18 hours. 00 min.;
Metropolitan house, XVIII century .: daily 10 hours. 00 min. up to 18 hours.00min.
URL: http://sophia.sophiakievska.org